Abstract
The chemical composition, distribution, and fate of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) present in typical pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants were investigated with the aim of effectively removing these pollutants while minimizing waste of resources and energy. The results of this study indicate that the relative content of an organic compound class is unrelated to the number of organic compounds in the influent and effluent, yet it is directly proportional to the pollution contribution in pharmaceutical wastewater. In wastewater influent, the organic compound classes with the highest relative contents and pollution contributions were acids (relative content = 63.65%, contribution to pollution = 67.22%), esters (44.96%, 41.24%), and heterocyclic compounds (30.24%, 35.23%); in wastewater effluent, these classes were organic acids (62.54%, 65.13%), esters (52.66%, 59.02%), and organosilicon compounds (42.46%, 37.45%). The different physicochemical characteristics of these pollutants result in different removal efficiencies. For example, N,N-dimethylformamide, 4-methyloctane, N-ethylmorpholine, and 4-amino-N,N- and N,N-diethylbenzamide are refractory and are not degraded by microorganisms; thus, these compounds are discharged into the aquatic environment. Other organic compound classes including organosilicon compounds, acids, esters, heterocycles, and alcohols are mostly biodegraded, which leads to high concentrations of hydrocarbons in the wastewater effluent. The results of this study provide a foundation for the improvement of pharmaceutical wastewater treatment.
Highlights
E chemical composition, distribution, and fate of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) present in typical pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants were investigated with the aim of effectively removing these pollutants while minimizing waste of resources and energy. e results of this study indicate that the relative content of an organic compound class is unrelated to the number of organic compounds in the influent and effluent, yet it is directly proportional to the pollution contribution in pharmaceutical wastewater
Few studies have considered the distribution of PhACs in individual treatment processes, such as primary treatment, biological treatment, and chlorination. is study investigated four aspects of PhAC treatment in Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs): the organic compound classes and distribution of PhACs in the influent and effluent of three typical pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants; the occurrence and fate of organic compounds during different stages of a conventional treatment process that employs “primary treatment + anaerobic + aerobic + sedimentation”; the relationship between chemical oxygen demand (COD) and theoretical oxygen demand ( OD); and the major pollutants remaining in the final effluent, as determined by contributions to COD. e results of this study provide a foundation for the improvement of pharmaceutical wastewater treatment
In the antibiotic pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plant, 53 organic compounds were detected in the influent while only 30 organic compounds were detected in effluent, which corresponds with a reduction of 43.40%
Summary
Qiao Luo ,1,2,3 Jing Wang, JianHui Wang, Yu Shen ,1,5 Peng Yan, YouPeng Chen, and ChengCheng Zhang. To ensure that pharmaceutical wastewater effluent meets the required standards for pollutant concentrations, an advanced treatment technology involving advanced oxidation, membrane filtration, activated carbon adsorption, wet oxidation, etc., has been used to treat refractory organics present in the effluent These advanced treatment technologies usually degrade the PhACs using a nonspecific strategy because the composition, distribution, and fate of PhACs during wastewater treatment are not currently understood. Is study investigated four aspects of PhAC treatment in WWTPs: the organic compound classes and distribution of PhACs in the influent and effluent of three typical pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants; the occurrence and fate of organic compounds during different stages of a conventional treatment process that employs “primary treatment + anaerobic + aerobic + sedimentation”; the relationship between chemical oxygen demand (COD) and theoretical oxygen demand ( OD); and the major pollutants remaining in the final effluent, as determined by contributions to COD. Few studies have considered the distribution of PhACs in individual treatment processes, such as primary treatment, biological treatment, and chlorination. is study investigated four aspects of PhAC treatment in WWTPs: the organic compound classes and distribution of PhACs in the influent and effluent of three typical pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants; the occurrence and fate of organic compounds during different stages of a conventional treatment process that employs “primary treatment + anaerobic + aerobic + sedimentation”; the relationship between chemical oxygen demand (COD) and theoretical oxygen demand ( OD); and the major pollutants remaining in the final effluent, as determined by contributions to COD. e results of this study provide a foundation for the improvement of pharmaceutical wastewater treatment
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